Queen
Victoria was queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland from 1837 to 1901—the second longest reign of any other
British monarch in history.
Synopsis
Queen
Victoria, the only child of George III's fourth son, Edward, and
sister of Leopold, king of the Belgians, was queen of Great
Britain for 63 years—to date, the second longest than any other
British monarch and the second longest of any female monarch in
history (Queen Elizabeth II is currently the longest serving
monarch to date). Victoria's reign saw great cultural expansion;
advances in industry, science, and communications; and the
building of railways and the London Underground. She died in
England in 1901.
Early
Life
Queen
Victoria served as Queen of Great Britain and Ireland from 1837,
and as empress of India from 1877, until her death in 1901. She
was born Alexandrina Victoria on May 24, 1819, in London, England,
the only child of George III's fourth son, Edward, and Victoria
Maria Louisa of Saxe-Coburg, sister of Leopold, king of the
Belgians.
Victoria’s
father died when she was eight months old and her mother became a
domineering influence in her life. As a child, she was said to be
warmhearted and lively. Educated at the Royal Palace by a
governess, she had a gift for drawing and painting and developed a
passion for journal writing.
Upon
her father’s death, Victoria became the heir apparent, since her
three surviving uncles, who were ahead of her in succession, had
no legitimate heirs who had survived childhood. When King William
IV died in June 1837, Victoria became queen at the very young age
of 18. Victoria’s first prime minister, Lord Melbourne, was her
political advisor and confidant and helped teach the young queen
the intricacies of being a constitutional monarch.
A
Marriage Partnership
In
1840, she married her cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and
Gotha. At first, the British public didn’t warm up to the German
prince and he was excluded from holding any official political
position. At times their marriage was tempestuous, a clash of
wills between two extremely strong personalities. However, the
couple were intensely devoted to each other and shared a strong
enough affection to have nine children. Prince Albert also became
her strongest ally, helping her navigate difficult political
waters. In 1861, Victoria's beloved prince died of typhoid fever
after several years of suffering from stomach ailments. Victoria
was devastated and went into a 25-year seclusion.
Queen
of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Under
Queen Victoria's reign, Great Britain experienced unprecedented
expansion in industry, building railways, bridges, underground
sewers and power distribution networks throughout much of the
empire. There were advances in science (Charles Darwin's theory of
evolution) and technology (the telegraph and popular press), vast
numbers of inventions, tremendous wealth and poverty; growth of
great cities like Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham; increased
literacy; and great civic works, often funded by industrial
philanthropists. During her reign, Britain expanded its imperial
reach, doubling in size and encompassing Canada, Australia, India
and various possessions in Africa and the South Pacific. The Queen
was emblematic of the time: an enthusiastic supporter of the
British Empire, which stretched across the globe and earned the
adage: “The sun never sets on the British Empire.”
At
various points in her reign, Queen Victoria exercised some
influence over foreign affairs, expressing her preference, but not
pressing beyond the bounds of constitutional propriety. During
this time, the British Empire experienced only a few small wars,
exerting its authority over foreign possessions. One of the major
factors that helped Britain avoid European entanglements was the
marriage of Victoria's children: either directly or by marriage,
she was related to the royal houses of nearly every major European
power, with the exceptions of France and Spain. Though the English
constitutional arrangement denied her powers in foreign affairs,
she ruled her family with an iron hand that helped keep Great
Britain away from the intrigues of European politics.
During
Queen Victoria’s reign, British Parliamentary politics went
through a major transition. The Tory Party split, forming the
Liberal and Conservative parties, and started a succession of
opposing administrations. Victoria played a crucial role as
mediator between arriving and departing prime ministers. Though
she detested Liberal Prime Minister William Gladstone, she found
ways to work with him, even during her mourning period. She was
particularly fond of Conservative Prime Minister Benjamin
Disraeli, who linked the Monarchy to the expansion of the empire,
which helped restore public opinion following Queen Victoria’s
long seclusion after the death of her beloved Albert.
Death
and Legacy
Life
in Britain during the 19th century was known as Victorian England
because of Queen Victoria’s long reign and the indelible stamp it
and her persona placed on the country. Her ethics and personality
have become synonymous with the era.
Victoria
continued in her duties up to her death. In keeping with
tradition, she spent Christmas 1900 at Osborne House on the Isle
of Wight, where her health quickly declined to the point that she
was unable to return to London. She died on January 22, 1901, at
age 81. Her son and successor King Edward VII and her eldest
grandson Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany were both at her bedside.